The Digester
< Saturday May 23, 2026

IBM shares surge 7% on $2B quantum chip foundry deal

IBM will build the first U.S.-only quantum chip foundry in Albany under a $2 billion partnership backed by CHIPS Act incentives, as Washington moves to secure domestic quantum capabilities worth an estimated $850 billion by 2040.

  1. SpaceX Launches Most Powerful Starship Version Yet

    SpaceX launched its most powerful Starship rocket yet from its Texas Starbase, with President-elect Trump and Musk observing from the facility. The 407-foot rocket generated 18 million pounds of thrust from 33 engines, deploying 20 mock Starlink satellites before both the Super Heavy booster and upper stage splashed down as planned. The V3 version features redesigned propulsion, enlarged fuel tanks, and hardware for autonomous orbital fuel transfer, capabilities critical to NASA's Artemis moon landing program. Musk signaled the company could be valued at $1.75 trillion in the IPO.

  2. Hormuz Blockade Sends Gas to $4.55, Highest in Four Years

    U.S. gasoline prices reached $4.55 per gallon Friday, a 50% increase since the United States and Israel launched their war with Iran on Feb. 28. Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has triggered what analysts describe as the largest disruption to oil supplies in history, with oil prices spiking more than 40% from pre-war levels. President Trump this week called off imminent strikes on Iran to allow time for negotiations, saying "We cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon." Patrick De Haan of GasBuddy warned prices could hit $5 per gallon by June if the strait remains closed.

  3. Mexico and EU Sign Landmark Trade Deal, Moving Away from US

    Mexico and the European Union signed a free trade agreement in Mexico City on Friday. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and European Council President Antonio Costa attended the signing. The accord expands a 2000 trade agreement to include services, government procurement, digital trade, investment, and farm produce. Mexico's economy ministry estimates the deal could increase Mexican exports to the EU from $24 billion to $36 billion annually by 2030. The EU currently exports approximately $65 billion in goods to Mexico each year.

  4. Consumer sentiment hits all-time low as gas hits $4.55

    Two-thirds of Americans believe President Trump is prioritizing his immigration crackdown at the expense of their economic wellbeing, according to polls released this week. The University of Michigan's Consumer Sentiment Index crashed to an all-time low of 44.8 in May while fuel prices hit $4.55 per gallon. Trump's approval rating on the economy has plummeted to 29% and 36% of his own 2024 voters believe his administration has the wrong priorities. Sixteen percent of those voters say they no longer plan to vote Republican, primarily citing the faltering economy and rising living costs.

  5. Ebola variant with no cure kills 135 in Africa outbreak

    The Bundibugyo Ebola strain has killed at least 135 people across the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda. The WHO reported 675 total cases in the DRC as of May 19. No vaccine or therapeutic treatment exists for this variant, first identified in 2007 during an outbreak in Uganda. Brazilian experts say the risk to Brazil remains low. Flavia Bravo of the Brazilian Society of Immunizations said the WHO declaration was prompted by the need for countries to strengthen surveillance before the situation worsens.

  6. Pentagon releases second batch of UFO files

    The Pentagon released a second batch of declassified UFO files Friday under a presidential directive from Trump. The release includes a 116-page document detailing 209 reports of "green orbs," "discs," and "fireballs" near a secret Sandia, New Mexico, military facility between 1948 and 1950. It also contains a 2025 report from an intelligence officer describing orange oval-shaped objects forming a triangle over fighter jets before vanishing. The Pentagon's file-sharing website has received over 1 billion hits since the initial release on May 8. A third batch is being prepared.

More

End of digest · Next at 7AM UTC